Projecting Colorado Buffaloes Secondary Without Travis Hunter

Nearly a decade after the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 on the backs of a dominant secondary nicknamed the “No Fly Zone,” the Colorado Buffaloes created one of their own in 2024.

Led by Chuck Bednarik Award-winning cornerback Travis Hunter, the defensive back room held opposing quarterbacks to nearly 77 fewer passing yards per game than in 2023 en route to a major program turnaround.

With Hunter’s Heisman-worthy production and presence off to the NFL along with veteran safety stalwarts Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig and Shilo Sanders, defensive coordinator Robert Livingston and secondary coach Kevin Mathis will turn to an array of returners and newcomers to hold down the fort.

Nov 9, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Coy Eakin (8) is tackled by Colorado Buffalos defensive back Travis Hunter (12) and defensive safety Shilo Sanders (21) in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

"In a defensive backfield, you want guys that compete. Not just one play, but that compete every play," Mathis said after Colorado's Thursday spring practice. "Even when you get beat, those guys come back up there the next day and still compete. Confidence level is key when you play on the outside."

Three cornerbacks on 2024's unit appear locked into starting spots with the spring game on the horizon, but several pieces were added through the transfer portal who hunger to work into the rotation.

DJ McKinney

Colorado's outside cornerback opposite Hunter in 2024, DJ McKinney, may have to carry the lead spot this season. McKinney came alive late last season to snag three interceptions and had the team's second-most pass deflections.

The former Oklahoma State Cowboy proved himself to not get picked on despite Hunter's lockdown ability on the other side, but Mathis is pushing him to elevate his game to match the shoes he'll fill.

"He's got to let go of the security blank for him to be great," Mathis said. "If [he] wants to be good, he can just stay where he is, but he's really, really working hard on some of the things that he's not comfortable doing, but it's going to make him be a great player."

Preston Hodge

Hodge pleasantly surprised some when he announced his return to Boulder for next season, as the slot cornerback could have been selected in this April's NFL draft.

Livingston tabbed Hodge "the straw that stirs the drink" for Colorado's defense, and his technique in both the pass and run games proved his coach right. In Silmon-Craig's absence, Hodge could play a more vocal and versatile role with the Buffs to prove his readiness for the next level.

"He's a guy on our football team that actually got another chance," Livingston said. "I think he's gonna come back with a new attitude. He played well for us last year, and I expect him to play much better than last year because his mindset is different."

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Colton Hood

Hood started as a scrawny, unproven freshman cornerback yet ended last season as one of Colorado's most compelling stories. He finished with six pass breakups and two interceptions, including a near pick-six against Kansas State.

Hood stepped up to primarily guard Arizona wide receiver and Biletnikoff Award nominee Tetairoa McMillion when Hunter was banged up, holding the projected first-round NFL draft pick to just five catches for 38 yards.

While he's not seeing much spring action due to injury, Hood boasts the ball skills and technique to blossom into a star this fall.

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos safety Carter Stoutmire (23) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Colorado's safeties will be under new leadership in 2025, as returning safety Carter Stoutmire and USF Bulls transfer safety Tawfiq Byard could be the most skilled combination to watch throughout the spring.

Stoutmire emerged last season as a valuable plug-and-play when Sanders struggled or was injured. Byard could lay the boom in Sander's absence, as he racked up 54 total tackles and two sacks with USF as a sophomore.

While the Buffs have a bevy of reinforcements competing for snaps, many of whom did the same in Boulder last season, safety Ben Finneseth and converted cornerback RJ Johnson could break through above the rest.

"He's definitely putting a lot of pressure on these guys out here," Mathis said of Johnson's efforts this spring. "And that's what we like in our room, iron sharpens iron, and those guys know each and every day that I'm not scared of putting any of them out there, so they're going to practice hard, and that's going to make the whole room better."